Public Institution Planning and Budgets Planning for the future can seem like a waste of time when just keeping the lights on is a struggle. Budget cuts are hitting many public institutions, including schools, colleges and universities. The gut reaction is to put the future on hold and deal with the present. That approach has some major drawbacks. First, if you don’t have … [Read more...] about Public Institution Planning and Budgets
uncertainty
US Labor Policy and Employment
Thinking out loud: Back in January of 2009 I wrote the blog post below. Since then, the White House, and several part of the executive branch, with the support of congress, have attempted to shore-up American labor with stimulus funds and various other efforts. I believe much of their effort is misguided because they do not look at the complexity of the relationships involved, … [Read more...] about US Labor Policy and Employment
The Internet’s Uncertain Future
Anyone who claims they can accurately predict the Internet’s future is at minimum wrong, definitively delusional and perhaps borderline psychotic. The Internet is influenced by many things, and any attempt to extrapolate outcomes from current trends in destined to failure. If that is true, then how does an organization plan for its future? The answer is scenario planning. The … [Read more...] about The Internet’s Uncertain Future
Science, Uncertainty and Being Right
The October 2010 Scientific American reports on an exclusive poll about trust in science. For the most part, people trust scientists, but not at the highest level, especially when it comes to things that non-scientists have personal experience with. At the low end of the trust rung were food safety, vitamins and supplements, genetically modified crops, pesticides, … [Read more...] about Science, Uncertainty and Being Right
First Pass: What’s Wrong with the Grand Challenges for Engineering
At the risk of committing more overthinking of the Grand Challenges for Engineering, I want to take a first pass at discussing what I think is wrong with them in a very specific way, and honing the list into something more grand. Here is the current list: Make solar energy economical Provide energy from fusion Develop carbon sequestration methods Manage the nitrogen … [Read more...] about First Pass: What’s Wrong with the Grand Challenges for Engineering